Google's New £650m London Headquarters is a Lying Down Shard

Google's about to invest a staggering amount of money in building a new UK head office, with the company applying to create an enormous, 11-storey HQ in the renovated King's Cross area of London. And at 330 metres in length, it's about the same size as the Shard. But lying down.

The building's a multi-levelled thing, ranging from seven stories high at one end to 11 at the other, with Google's architect claiming the rather bland glass and steel look takes inspiration from the surrounding area's industrial heritage. It'll be an environmentally sound project, built from steel and laminated timber panels, which will apparently produce 40 per cent less carbon during construction and make it efficient to run. And the roof will be a garden.

The new building will assimilate all of Google's current London staff when completed in 2016 or 2017, with the existing offices in Covent Garden and Victoria closing in favour of the new glass and steel workhouse. [The Register]